Introductions

A little over one year after my first study abroad experience, I find myself once again beginning a blog, and beginning a journey... Who knew I would be so blessed as to get the opportunity to spend two months in Africa twice?! Last year, I spent two months in Morocco and it completely changed my life (you can read in more detail about my experiences here). I am both excited and disappointed knowing that my time in South Africa will be a completely different experience.

First of all, why am I going to Cape Town? WPI has a graduation requirement called the Interactive Qualifying Project, or IQP. This is an opportunity for students, almost always in their third year, to apply their education in a social, humanistic context. Although many students do their projects on campus, the project is taken one step further when a student completes their IQP at one of WPI's many Project Centers all over the world, resulting in not only an interdisciplinary, but also a cross-cultural experience.

I was thrilled to be selected for the Cape Town Project Center in Cape Town, South Africa. This project center has many hands-on projects working in the settlements on the outskirts of the city. These settlements were created by the government in order to keep living spaces segregated--more or less excluding non-whites from living within city limits. Although apartheid ended in 1994, racial divisions remain and thousands of people are still living in informal settlements, often lacking basics such as clean water, electricity, and proper sanitation facilities.

My project, specifically, will be working at the Sizakuyenza Safe House in Philippi, one of these informal settlements. Sizkuyenza shelters women and children who have been victims of domestic violence, supporting them and training them for several months until they are ready to be integrated back into society. Our goal is to improve the facilities of the Safe House, fixing up their playground and water feature as well as developing their garden. Moreover, we want to connect some of the women of the safe house with employment opportunities at the Blue Sky Recycling Center, another place in Philippi where a WPI project was done last year. Our project is still in its early stages, but we are already researching and learning in preparation for our time in South Africa. I couldn't be more excited to be assigned to this project with the team members I have the privilege to work with!!

Keeping a blog was one of the best decisions that I made during my stay in Morocco (although I should have written more often!!). This gave friends and family the opportunity to stay updated on what I was doing, as well as giving me an opportunity to stop and reflect on my experiences and how they related to the rest of my life. It also helps me to relive some of the adventures and feelings that I had while I was there; even reading over some of my posts in preparation for this blog brought back some great memories! So, even though I know that I will be incredibly busy in Cape Town, I am intent on once again blogging, no matter how dorky some would say that it is.

You may be wondering about the title of this blog (and even if you're not, I'm going to explain it to you). If you know me well, you know that I am fascinated by and in love with studying languages. I love the way that they are structured into grammatical patterns, yet dynamic with the ever-changing tides of culture. I love the way that foreign words can capture a concept I never could articulate in English, and the satisfying feeling of communicating with someone, breaking down linguistic barriers. I have been dabbling in some Afrikaans in preparation for Cape Town, and have enjoyed learning a few of the interesting words and phrases of this eclectic language. One of the words that I've learned was "Trek," which is Afrikaans for a journey that is challenging. I am certain that my journey in Cape Town will have its share of difficulties and challenges; but this is when journeys are often the most rewarding. One of the things I took away from Morocco last year is that I have allowed fear and comfort to hold me back far too many times, too often shying away from something when it becomes difficult. Cape Town for me will be a lesson in trekking--climbing, growing, and being challenged on what is sure to be incredible journey. I can't wait to see where it takes me.